The Centre for Climate-Smart Agriculture hosted an interactive discussion session with several non-governmental and non-profit organisations on Friday, August 1, 2025.

The CEO of the Centre, Dr. Rislan Kanya, led the session among the attendees at the meeting were Abdullahi Mahmood of the Abdullahi Mahmood Foundation from Jigawa State, Mariya Nuuman Danbatta of the Mariya Nuuman Foundation from Kano State, Mr. Japhet Sha’agi Kineze of the Dr. Ladi Kwali Foundation FCT Abuja, and Atolagbe Luqman Suleiman, a Computer Scientist and Investment and Financial Expert from Kwara State, as well as some staff of the Centre.

Dr. Rislan Kanya began by introducing the participants and providing a background of the Centre, from its inception to its current state. Since the Centre operates under Cosmopolitan University, Abuja, Dr. Rislan also gave an overview of the university, its programs, centres, and its core mission: to expand knowledge through research integrated with education and active engagement with industry and society. He also shared the university’s core vision: to drive the transformation of agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa by advancing climate-smart practices through cutting-edge research, innovative education, and collaborative partnerships, fostering resilience, enhancing capacity, and ensuring sustainability in agricultural systems.

The CEO then shifted focus to the Centre itself. He highlighted some of its success stories and ongoing plans, as well as its collaboration with international institutions, foundations, banks, fintech companies and small and large farmers to drive growth, transform agribusiness, and expand research activities in climate-smart agriculture. The aim is to combat hunger, protect the environment, and eradicate poverty and unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Earlier in his remarks, Dr. Rislan Kanya emphasised the core vision of the Centre: to foster climate-smart agricultural systems that promote food security, enhance livelihoods, and sustain the environment through innovation, education, research, and practice. He reiterated its mission, aligning it with that of the university.

Dr. Rislan also explained how many past projects had failed to address the persistent issues of unemployment, poverty, agricultural inefficiencies, and climate challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa. He attributed these failures mainly to a lack of research and proper planning, as well as the implementation of a top-down approach instead of a bottom-up model.

He added that the Centre is currently collaborating with the Mariya Nuuman Foundation, Tamalan Foundation, Iya Foundation, Dambatta-Makoda Micro Finance Bank, and Audu Bako College of Agriculture, Dambatta, to train and empower 350 youths, including women from Dambatta, Mokida, and Babura LGAs in Climate-Smart and Digital Agriculture. He also mentioned that the Centre is currently working with the Cotton Farmers Association of Nigeria to enrol cotton farmers, capturing their details, farms, and farming practices, thereby providing a robust database for expanding climate-smart practices, access to innovative finance, and value addition.

During the meeting, Dr. Rislan stated that the Centre welcomes potential collaborations with all foundations dedicated to improving the lives of the poor, achieving food security, and tackling unemployment in Sub-Saharan Africa. He also invited Mr. Japhet Kineze and Mr. Abdullahi Mahmood to emulate Mariya Nuuman's efforts to scale up their work in their respective communities. A new meeting was scheduled for next week between the Centre, Abdullahi Mahmood, and Mr. Japhet Kineze.

At the end of the session, Mr. Japhet Kineze presented a book to the CEO. The book, titled The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business and Life, was written by Steven Bartlett.